Lexus has established itself as an industry leader in bringing advanced technologies to the premium car market. Now it has applied the same thinking on a smaller scale to create the Lexus Hybrid Bicycle, a design concept the captures the fundamental engineering and design values of the brand, but with two wheels rather than four.

In every aspect this is Lexus, from the L-finesse design language of the engaging and elegant frame, to the application of hybrid power, an electric eight-speed transmission and lightweight carbon fibre construction.

Lexus has brought what is one of the only two examples in existence (one black and one white) to the UK for the first time, following the bicycle's debut at the 2009 Tokyo motor show (at that show, the concept bike was shown in black).

above: the Lexus HB Concept bike appeared in black at the 2009 Tokyo auto show

Its arrival coincides with the announcement of Lexus's title sponsorship of the Great British Bike Ride, a four-day charity fun ride from September 1-4, 2010, that will see hundreds of cyclists following a course from Land's End to the home of English rugby at Twickenham.

Lexus has pioneered high performance, low emissions and optimum fuel efficiency with its full hybrid Lexus Hybrid Drive powertrain technology. The Hybrid Bicycle adopts similar principles, with the pedal power of the rider boosted by assistance to the front wheel from a 240W electric motor, via a 25.9V Lithium-ion battery, with a choice of Eco or Power modes. And, as with Lexus Hybrid Drive, there is an energy regeneration function that helps recharge the battery by capturing kinetic energy generated under braking.

The Lexus Hybrid Bicycle has all-wheel drive, by means of a belt system. It is equipped with an electric eight-speed Shimano internal gear system, which references the sophisticated eight-speed shift-by-wire automatic transmission of Lexus's LS 600h limousine.

The carbon fibre construction shares the same light-but-strong composite materials technology that was used on Valentino Rossi's MotoGP-winning motorcycle.

The video below is from the 2009 Tokyo Auto show (courtesy of Gizmag):

Specs:

Length (mm) 1,598

Width (mm) 425

Seat height (mm) 900

Wheelbase (mm) 1,080

Tyre size 20 x 1 3/8

Weight (kg) 17

Charge time Approx. 2hrs

Motor output (W) 240

Battery type Lithium-ion

Battery voltage 25.9V/4.0Ah

Gear system Shimano 8-speed internal gear

Shift lever Shimano dual control

Drive train Belt drive

The big bummer? There are no current plans for the Lexus Hybrid Bicycle to become a production model.

the white bike images are courtesy of Lexus and the black bike, courtesy of Gizmag

Now, THIS is finger painting. CND (Creative Nail Design) is a company known better to professionals that the average consumer. The first to create a nail polish resistant to yellowing, the company has continued to innovate with science and beauty. The amazing nail polish art shown below was created with their products.

Pretty phenomenal, right? But what's even cooler is that on their site, they describe exactly which polishes you need to create each of the above designs of nail art and the steps as to how to apply them.

If the above nail art seems to daunting for you to try, CND still makes it easy to have uniquely beautiful nails by simply combining their color polishes with their effect polishes.

First you can choose from their cremes, primaries or chrome polishes:

After polishing your nails with the first color, you can add a number of effects (shimmer, pearl or sparkle) by using their 'effects' polishes:

and voila, many fab looks can be achieved, such as these below:

About CNDCND (Creative Nail Design) got it's start when Dr. Stuart Nordstrom, a practicing dentist, got the idea for a new nail enhancement product: A patient remarked that the material used to prepare temporary caps smelled like the material used to sculpt porcelain nails.

The result was SolarNail™ Liquid, the industry’s first-ever monomer formulation for greater nail strength and flexibility — and the first product to deliver natural, non-yellowing nail color..

Building on a foundation of hard work and smart chemistry, the fledgling company pursued and achieved one innovation after another—an uninterrupted succession of advances that continues, virtually unabated, to this day. With every new breakthrough came growth. Throughout the 1980s alone, the company doubled its revenues every year.

BREAKING NAIL NEWS:

The latest news from CDN (even covered here in the NY Times) is the upcoming release of their long-wearing 'shellac' polish. A special nail polish that is said to last weeks without chipping.

The SHELLAC polishes (not yet available for purchase) are dried by a UV light and when removal is desired, each nail has to be soaked for 10 minutes in the special removal gel wraps, shown below.

Visit their site to learn more and to find distributors.CNDSpecial thanks to CND and NY Times for the images and info.

If you've ever been to, or read about the famed Montreal restaurant, Le Club Chasse et Peche, you may have noticed the unusual animal wall sconces and pendant lamps.

Designer Antoine Laverdiere was commissioned by the Montreal restaurant to create some unusual lighting for them. The results are whimsical ceramic and glass Buffalo and Veal wall sconces and Duck pendant lamps.

And now, the soft and ambient whimsical lights are actually available to the public for purchase.

Duck (le canard) is available in white ceramic with a mouth blown, clear glass shade. A white ceiling canopy/cover is included for ceiling (hardwired) installation.$379.00, 7" x 10", buy it here.

The Veal or Calf (le Veau) is available in smoke and offers left and right models for bedside installation. Installs by electrical plug:Buffalo (le Bison) can be used as a wall sconce or table lamp and is available in white. Installs with an electrical plug. :Buffalo: 18"L x 8.5"W 25W G19 bulb medium (not included) base included Veal (Calf) : 13.5"L x 5.5"W Max 40 W G16.5 bulb (not included) Candelabra base included .

With Iron Man 2 opening May 7th, the glut of marketing tie-ins and giveaways (purported to cost 100$ including media buys) has already begun to hit the market. In addition to the expected special edition video games, comic books, and action figures, there are fragrances, cookies, motor oil, a special edition Audi r8 and even a limited edition 18ct gold LG mobile phone. Not to mention the numerous microsites created by the retailers. And I've got a look at those and more for you.

The fragrance is touted as a fusion of plant and animal kingdoms. It blends leather, styrax and labdanum. Lemon and violet express urban modernity, underscored by the strength and singularity of cedar and amber. This limited edition comes in a single 75ml format. A vigorous tribute to IRONMAN’s visual universe. See more at Diesel's Fragrance factory

In Iron Man 2, Oracle is a proud sponsor of Stark Expo, a world-class tradeshow that depends on a cloud computing architecture to ensure that all systems are free from overload. And that’s where you come in: by becoming a Master Cloud Operative, you’ll help keep Stark Expo up and running. Complete your training, test your troubleshooting skills, and get certified in the Oracle Pavilion.